{"id":272837,"date":"2026-05-15T22:24:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T22:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/272837\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T22:24:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T22:24:11","slug":"florida-democratic-party-treasurer-joins-district-2-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/272837\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida\u00a0Democratic Party\u00a0treasurer\u00a0joins District 2 race"},"content":{"rendered":"

Florida Democratic Party treasurer<\/a>\u00a0Wes Hodge\u00a0has gathered 1,152 petitions to join the Orange County Commission District 2 race. Hodge\u2019s campaign surpassed\u00a0the\u00a0minimum\u00a0amount of 1,046\u00a0petitions\u00a0on\u00a0Monday, a week after the petition drive began on May 4, according to a Tuesday press release.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThere were people that were gathering petitions on their own, taking them to the supervisor of elections, and turning them in on my behalf,\u201d Hodge said in a phone interview with The Apopka Chief. \u201cIt really was a community effort to make it happen, and it\u2019s not lost on me how much that means\u2026I have been in Orange County politics since 2012\/2013, so about 14 years, and there\u2019s been plenty of candidates qualifying by petition \u2014 that\u2019s not new\u2014but to do it in\u00a010 days\u00a0is nuts.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Former Orange County Commissioner for District 2 Christine Moore<\/a>\u00a0resigned to join the Apopka mayoral race, which she\u00a0lost to then-City Commissioner Nick Nesta<\/a>\u00a0on April 14. The now-vacant District 2 seat\u00a0represents<\/a>\u00a0northwest Orange County, including Apopka.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u201cI ran for supervisor of elections in 2024 and got 87,000 votes and met a lot of people across the county in that process,\u201d Hodge said. \u201cWhen Commissioner Moore\u2019s term was expiring at the end of this year \u2014 it becomes an open seat because of county term limits \u2014 a lot of different people from across the community and different groups and organizations came to me and said, \u2018We\u2019ve worked with you, we know you, and we think that you would be a great fit for representing us.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hodge, a two-time cancer survivor,\u00a0identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+\u00a0community\u00a0and supports \u201cleaders who champion issues such as economic equality, social justice, healthcare reform, and environmental sustainability,\u201d according to his\u00a0LinkedIn page<\/a>. However,\u00a0he\u00a0believes his experience serving as chief of staff for three Orange County commissioners sets his campaign apart, especially considering various upcoming changes in the commission.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re going\u00a0from six districts to eight districts<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 so two new districts \u2014 plus the new mayor, and with Commissioner Uribe running for mayor, we\u2019ll have a board of nine with anywhere from as few as two to as many as only four experienced people on that board next year,\u201d Hodge said. \u201cI know the county inside-out, forwards and backwards, and so with\u00a0experience being at a premium, I think that that\u2019s essential for District 2, especially to have continuity of experienced leadership.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He\u00a0noted that District 2 residents have\u00a0identified\u00a0rural space protection and the reduction of \u201curban sprawl\u201d as crucial priorities \u201con multiple ballot initiatives\u201d and agrees with their concerns, saying that the various issues are all associated with poor growth management.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can talk about sustainable growth and development, we can talk about transportation, we can talk about affordability, and we can talk about preservation of environmental and rural lands, and really, they are all interconnected,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0said. \u201cIf you want to talk about those four \u2014 those are four, but\u00a0really,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0kind of one.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0done a\u00a0really bad\u00a0job about managing our growth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hodge believes that finding ways to \u201cconcentrate growth\u201d will allow the county to\u00a0more easily maintain existing infrastructure and lower costs\u00a0for residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI shared a video yesterday showing the average houses in different communities across Orange County, and\u00a0$400,000 was the lowest,\u201d he said. \u201cFor our younger people, or people that are working in the tourism industry,\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0a lot of money that most people\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0qualify for.\u00a0We\u2019ve\u00a0got to work on affordability and\u00a0ensuring\u00a0that if you work here, you should be able to live here, too.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0my core focus, is making sure that number one, the people are represented, not mega-developers or special interests, and number two, working to fix the problems that\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0currently dealing with because of bad decision-making in the past.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ultimately, Hodge\u00a0said the election\u00a0provides\u00a0an opportunity for the region to \u201cpivot\u201d and \u201clearn from other people\u2019s mistakes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really at a turning point where how we manage our growth can really set us on the right path for the next 20-30 years or set us on the wrong path for the next 20-30 years,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have a real chance to get it right here, and\u00a0I think that\u00a0now is the time to do it.\u00a0There\u2019s\u00a0so much change going on, but\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0a chance that we make that change be positive for all of us, and\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0what\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0looking forward to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hodge joins candidates\u00a0Marsha Summersill<\/a>,\u00a0George Oliver III<\/a>\u00a0and Kamia Brown in the race for District 2, with the primary election\u00a0set<\/a>\u00a0for Aug. 18.<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

Sarah Merly is an editorial assistant and reporter for The Apopka Chief. She joined the Chief in May 2025 after graduating from Patrick Henry College’s journalism program in Washington, D.C. In her spare time, Sarah loves watching rom-coms, visiting Disney, and throwing parties.<\/p>\n

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